Bonds we Build
by OutlawJohn
Summary: Three newly inaugurated Genin begin to forge the precious bonds of friendship amidst the clash of steel, and the screams of men.
1. Forming Team Seven

**Bonds we Build**

_**Summary: Three newly inaugurated Genin begin to forge the precious bonds of friendship amidst the clash of steel, and the screams of men.**_

_**I do not own the Naruto series**_

**Arc One**

**Chapter One: **Team Seven

Uzumaki Naruto was not an early riser.

In fact, quite the opposite could be said. The blond-haired teen usually made a point to wake up as late as possible, whenever possible. But today was different. The short boy's body seemed to be storing energy as he slept, and even before the alarm could wake him with its annoying screams, he jumped in the air, his vibrant blue eyes filled with an energy that was unusual even for him; which was saying something, as Uzumaki Naruto was quite the energetic little fellow.

He rushed through his mornings ritual, slurping down a pack of instant ramen noodles before bolting out of his apartment through the window.

With a single well-aimed leap, Naruto landed stealthily on a telephone poll, avoiding the various wires like a pro. For a moment he stood there, an impish grin plastering onto his face as his eyes narrowed, his unzipped orange coat fluttering in the wind. Like a man possessed he opened his arms wide, as if to embrace the village. "Ready or not!" he yelled to the people in the streets below, who eyed him wearily, as if he'd attack them. "Here I come!"

With that said, he leaped off the pole, landing in the streets with the grace of a cat and rushed down the path, avoiding people neatly and smoothly. The reactions of the people were the usual; freezing cold. Their glares could have frozen fire, but did nothing to to affect the boundless energy of the blond. He could feel them, but they almost felt like encouragement. They'd all see, he'd prove them all wrong. Uzumaki Naruto was not to be trifled with!

Just two days ago he had passed the Genin Exam on his third try, of course he'd cheated, as preforming a Clone Jutsu was nigh impossible for him. But, he wondered if it counted as cheating if the Hokage himself had helped him? Nah! And even if it did, who cared?

With every step he took, he got closer and closer to the Academy, and he grew closer and closer to his dreams. It was just as he reached the Ninja Academy gates, those nostalgic gates that looked so welcoming now, that he had done his best to avoid for the past five years, that he realized something with a start. "Crap!" he yelled, stumbling over his own feet. Without another word, he turned around and made a mad dash towards home.

He'd forgotten his forehead protector!

And even as he rushed through the crowded streets that seemed to shun him, all that was in the forefront of his mind was success. He would prove everyone that had ever doubted him wrong.

_**District 3, Uchiha Residence**_

Silence, the Uchiha Residence was in a state of peace and tranquility. Not because there was no activity; far from it actually. The Headquarters of the Hidden Leaf Military Police was always bustling with life and ninja, it was simply that it was subdued. In the Uchiha culture, mornings were considered sacred, and thus were a time for silence. It had been in the morning when the god, Izanagi, had dropped down from the heavens and given their forefather, Uchiha Shisho, the Sharingan.

Like the rest of his family Sasuke believed in that sacredness, and thus was ghostly in his performance of his morning ritual.

Donning his cloths, and eating a quick breakfast, Sasuke prepared to leave for the Academy, his new forehead protector tied snugly around his cranium, only to stop as his father entered the room. "Sasuke," Fugaku said gruffly, his words rumbling his chest, "come sit with your father for a moment."

Sasuke sat at the table across from his father. There was a a minute or two of silence, in which his father slowly sipped on his tea, while Sasuke's mother, Mikoto, put a tray of rice balls in the center of the table. Sasuke thanked her with a smile, and she replied by kissing him gently on the cheek and whispering 'congratulations' for the millionth time into his ear before disappearing in order to begin for the rest of the day. It was as soon as Sasuke reached for a rice ball that his father spoke, making his arm retract.

"Today is a very important day for you, for the clan" Fugaku said awkwardly, as if he was unsure what to say to his son. Not looking up from his tea, studying it with those black, Uchiha eyes, he continued. "Today you become a ninja, and you wear the emblem of the Hidden Leaf, representing it wherever you may go. But more importantly, you are now also a representative of the Uchiha Clan. It is your duty to uphold our honor and family name, so that one day, you may lead this clan into the future."

Sasuke bowed his head, "I won't fail you father."

"Of course you won't," Fugaku said with the utmost confidence, "after all, you are _my_ son. I expect great things from you Sasuke."

Sasuke understood the dismissal immediately and stood, snatching up two rice balls, her hurried out the door. With precision he knew only an Uchiha could manage, he launched on of his rice balls perfectly into a spot where he knew the stray cats would come along. With a spring in his step he leaped onto the rooftops and his way towards the other side of the Hidden Leaf. His father's words resonated throughout him, filling him with a brand new energy.

"I won't fail," he repeated with a clenched fist.

_**District 7, Haruno Residence …**_

Sakura was always up early, in her mind that was the first true mark of a good ninja. After all, rule number thirty-one of the Ninja Academy Handbook said: _'A ninja must be punctual to a fault …'._ But today, she had been up even earlier. Today was the day, after years of hard work at the Ninja Academy, she would finally be put on a team and begin her official career as a ninja. Her sparkling emerald eyes glanced over at the portrait above her bed as she ran a brush through her long pink hair.

It was a young man, barely twenty-five. On his face was a wide grin, and his pink-hair just tickled his shoulders.

Haruno Sousou had been a young man at the time of his death. He had been just the average ninja, nowhere near extraordinary or feared. Yet, he'd given his life for the ideals of the Hidden Leaf Village. He left behind a young woman who later mothered his daughter, who would grow up staring at that picture on the wall. Sakura smiled, thinking what he thought of her now. Now she was a ninja! Now she could go on missions, get some to help her mother around the house and of course … Sasuke!

Her thoughts were quickly interrupted as her internal cloak told her it was time to leave her room. Adding some finishing touches to her hair, she sprayed a hint of perfume on before moving out into the kitchen. Her mother, Nao, was silently putting breakfast on the table. A good judge of character, Sakura immediately noticed that there was something off about her mother, and she was far from afraid to ask.

"Mom, you seem down," she commented.

After a short period, Nao seemed to be startled by finally processing the voice and nearly dropped the plates. Sakura, the ninja that she was, easily caught the plates and laid them on the table. "Is it obvious?" Nao chuckled as she sat down on the table.

"Just a little."

Nao ran her slender hands through her short brown hair, staring at the meal she placed on the table in what looked like disgust. "It … it's just …" she sighed, taking a deep breath and steeling her nerves as their nearly identical eyes met. "Look its just … maybe you should consider all of this ninja business Sakura," she said, and as soon as she saw the protest on her daughters lips, she almost shouted. "Please! I- I could definitely use more around the house, and you'd make plenty of money working at the restaurant with me."

Sakura sighed, "Look, mom, we've talked about this. This is my dream … our dream. Besides, even fresh Genin like me can make more in a year than a doctor. Why should I go work at some restaurant, when I can make enough money to buy you one someday?"

"But at what cost Sakura?" Nao whispered. "I love this village, but is it worth it?"

Sakura steeled herself. "Of course it's worth it!" she nearly blew up. "I believe in the end, that this village, and its ideals are worth more than just one life. _He_ understood that."

Nao was stopped cold in her tracks, her eyes watering. After a few moments, the tension just seemed to collapse, and the two found themselves embracing. "Okay," Nao whispered in her daughter's ear, "okay. But you be careful okay honey? And if things get dangerous, don't try to be a hero. Okay? Okay?"

"Of course mom," Sakura said as she went out the door. She looked around at their neighborhood with slight disgust. Of course, district seven was an apartment district, and they'd lived here since her birth. Sakura frowned in distaste. She swore to herself, to her mother, to her father, that one day they would leave this place. She could picture it now, a mansion in the Fire Capital!

She would have it all, and so would her mother!

_**Academy Rooftop, Team Seven …**_

Hatake Kakashi watched his three new wards with the same lazy expression that he did with everything. Many people speculated that the reason Kakashi covered his face and left eye were because he was actually a very emotional man, and he feared that being discovered. These theorists, 'Emotionalists' as they were called, were completely wrong. Kakashi was as aloof, uncaring and cool with or without a mask on. The closest theorists were the 'Handsomeists', who correctly guessed that his good looks often interfered with missions.

His single eye roamed over the three. _'Uninteresting,'_ he thought neutrally. The girl, Sakura, was switching between staring and him, to staring at Sasuke, all the while twirling a lock of her hair in on finger. Sasuke was staring at him intensely, a little too intensely for Kakashi's liking with his hands clasped, and the blond was biting his finger nails and staring off randomly into space.

The silence went on for almost five minutes until Naruto piped up. "Aren't you gonna say anything?" he asked irritatedly.

"I might," Kakashi replied.

After almost another five minutes, when Kakashi himself found that he was getting bored with the silence, he decided to 'instruct' them. "Alright," he said, "why don't we start with the basics. Introduce yourselves. What are you likes, dislikes, hobbies … your dreams for the future. You kids these days do still have dreams don't you? Or would goals be a better word for it?"

This time, it was the girl that contradicted him; they were a mouthy team already. Good thing they'd likely fail; what he had devised for this batch was much more sinister than the Bell Test, which had become stale after so many years of circulation. Besides, he'd heard that some of the previous Genin he'd failed had spread the secret to passing the test, and he couldn't have anyone passing now could he?

"Why don't you introduce yourself first sensei. I mean, after all, we all went to the Academy, and we know each other."

"My name is Hatake Kakashi. The things that I like and dislike are none of your business. As for my goals for the future … huh, guess I've never really thought about it. But, I do have lots of hobbies!" the three saw the small smile form under his mask as his eye closed. All of a sudden, they found themselves wondering just what these 'hobbies' were. He shot that down and pointed at Sakura

"My name is Haruno Sakura," she said almost like a drone. "I like to read, to paint and I really like Sa-" she stopped mid sentence, her face becoming a deep cherry color. She glanced to see if the Uchiha beside her had noticed, but he was still eye Kakashi, who quite honestly felt weirded out. "I dislike people who would betray their village, and I dislike people who refuse to learn." Naruto snorted. "My hobbies are reading, and my dream for the future is become a Jounin!"

Kakashi nodded; not too bad, before pointing at Sasuke.

Without ever looking away Sasuke spoke, "My name is Uchiha Sasuke. I dislike plenty of things, and I like plenty of things. My only hobby is training. My ambition," Kakashi smiled at that, he used a big word! " … is to surpass a certain man, and to take my rightful place as the head of my clan."

"Morbid," Kakashi stated simply, before turning to Naruto.

"Uzumaki Naruto!" he bellowed, almost busting Sasuke's eardrums. "I like a lot of things, including ramen, training and pretty girls. I dislike lots of things, like people who look down on me for no reason … and ugly girls. My dream for the future is to …" he stopped, much to Kakashi's dismay, and gave the Jounin a blank face, and for a moment Kakashi feared that he'd had stroke.

Suddenly he took a deep breath and spoke, "My dream is to become the greatest ninja to ever live! And when I do, everyone in the whole world will have to acknowledge who I am, and remember my name! On the way, I might even become Hokage."

_'Well,_' Kakashi thought, _'you don't hold back one bit.'_

"Not bad," he said behind his mask, "you all have your own distinct personalities, and that's good. Good, now, I usually give my Genin a night of rest and preparation before our first mission, but I like you three _so_ much, that we can just jump right into it." Kakashi reached into his flak jacket, retrieving a small scroll which he held up in the air, watching with the utmost amusement as their eyes followed it as if it was some holy scripture that would bring to them answers to all life's questions.

Had he ever been so young and eager to prove himself? Of course not.

Naruto nearly leaped onto his feat, bouncing with uncontrollable energy. "What's in it?" he demanded. "Is it a debriefing on saving a princess? Or assassinating a warlord? Or-"

"What's inside is for me to know, and for you three to never find out," Kakashi said as he tied the scroll around his waist with a string, letting it hang loosely. "Your objective is simple; get the scroll. Here is the scenario: an enemy ninja has broken into the Hokage Tower and stolen the Forbidden Scroll of Seals, and you've caught sight of him. He's headed towards the northern gate, and if he gets there, he'll hand the scroll to his allies, and we'll never get it back. Stop him before he gets to that gate, and retrieve the scroll. Also, the enemy has booby trapped the village floor randomly."

"So wait," Sakura questioned, "you want us to get that from you? And we have to stay on the roof tops?"

"Yeah, that's the gist of it."

"Are there any limitations on what we can do to retrieve the scroll?" asked Sasuke.

Kakashi smiled under his mask, "Of course not. I suggest that you come at me with intent to kill, if not, there's no way you'll ever even touch this scroll. Oh, and if none of you get the scroll before I reach the northern gate, all three of you will be spending another year at the Ninja Academy."

To Kakashi's surprise, there was suddenly an orange and blond blur hurling at him at intense speeds. With a simple sidestep, Kakashi avoided Naruto by a mile, letting the boy sail off the rooftop. Luckily, for Naruto anyway, there was a rail there, and the youth managed to clutch it desperately to stop himself from free falling to something painful.

"Maybe you should wait till I get you started?"

Suddenly, without any warning, Kakashi leaped off the balcony and landed on a rooftop a house or two down. "Lesson number one," he said to himself, "the enemy isn't going to tell you when or where he's going." With that said, he casually reached into his pocket, pulling out a small orange book and flipping to a creased page and proceeded to giggle like a school girl, all the while, his fine tuned ears focused on the action happening between his Genin.

"Cheater!" Naruto yelled, before immediately rushing off in the direction. There's no way he was going to let this one-eyed freak cheat him out of his career.

Sasuke moved to do the same, only to be stopped by Sakura. "Sasuke, maybe if we worked together, we'd have a better chance of getting the scroll," she offered. "After all, did say we'd fail as a team."

Sasuke scoffed at the idea. "You'll only slow me down. I'll get the scroll, and we'll pass." He leaped off the Academy balcony, quickly following the orange blur and its target. Sakura sighed, it seemed that every attempt to get to work with him was shut down. With a glum face, she quickly followed after him. Sakura steadied her nerves; there were more important matters at hand. She wouldn't go home and tell her mother that she was a failure.

Kakashi, by now, had put some distance between himself and the team, and a smile formed under his mask. One of them had already made the effort to pass. It was a shame that Sakura would fail because her teammates were egotistical and arrogant, but such was life. She would have done well if her tutelage had been under Kurenai. Maybe next year.

Without warning, Kakashi suddenly ducked, just in time to avoid Naruto hurtling through the air at him. The blond landed with a roll on the rooftop, sliding away a small number of roof tiles. Kakashi flipped through another page in his book. "Hey!" Naruto shouted angrily, "put that dirty book away and fight me like a man!"

"You aren't much of a man," Kakashi noted.

That seemed to tick the blond off enough. Kunai in hand, Naruto rushed forward, his decent speed eating away at the distance between them in seconds. Kakashi smoothly ducked under the blond's wild swing, not even a single lock of his hair touched by the blade, before his free hand came up and caught the kick aimed at his face. With a slight push Kakashi sent the blond rolling away.

Naruto cursed as he barely stopped himself from falling off the roof. Obviously Taijutsu wasn't going to work on this guy; at least not one on one Taijutsu. His hands came together in a single seal, and he felt his chakra begin to rush through his veins. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" he yelled. The air around him whined as it was displaced by the unnatural appearance of about a dozen perfectly identical clones of Naruto. "Go, go, go, go!" the original yelled, and they rushed into battle.

Kakashi eyed them with interest. A Shadow Clone technique? From a Genin? And a large number on top of that. The chakra capacity it took to make even five was astounding, which was why it was a B-rank jutsu. But, as impressive as it was that the blond could actually _do_ the technique, his usage of it was pathetic. The clones where bumping into each other on the small rooftop, and one or two of them had fallen off to the edge to an early end already.

The battle was quick, but the shear overwhelming numbers eventually forced Kakashi to tuck his book safely away lest it be harmed. He ducked and weaved through the mass of sloppy clones with ease, hitting vital areas to knock them out with single hits, instead of having to waste multiple hits on ineffective blows. Much to his surprise, when he finished clearing them all … Naruto was nowhere to be found!

"Did he run?"

Unlikely, he was too headstrong to know he was outmatched.

Kakashi moved just in time to avoid Naruto's body bursting out from under the wooden roof. The owner of this place wasn't going to be happy, not one bit. Still in the air, Naruto released a handful of shuriken and kunai right for his sensei's chest. His aim was off, and only about three where actually anywhere near on point. Kakashi snatched them out of the air before launching them back at the now grounded Genin. His aim was pin-point, one scratching Naruto's cheek, the next cutting off a lock of his hair, and the last going right between his legs, missing his jewels by centimeters.

_'At least he can form a decent strategy,'_ Kakashi thought.

Maybe there was hope for him yet. But, he decided he would finish dealing Naruto after he dealt with the other pest trying to sneak up on him. With trained easy Kakashi raised his left forearm, blocking a shin that would have otherwise connected with his chin. Fluidly he switched his arm position, catching the shin firmly in his hand before throwing Sasuke at Naruto. The young Uchiha gracefully positioned himself in the air and landed on his own two feet.

Kakashi leaped backwards, landing on the solid concrete roof of smoke kind of store. Sasuke followed like a rapid Hunter Ninja. His blows were precise and on point, a far contrast to Naruto's unpredictable style, and though in a sense it made him a more difficult opponent, it also made him much easier to read. He offered much more of a challenge, but even still, Kakashi found himself disappointed. He'd been hoping for some exercise.

Without even realizing it he said, "For an Uchiha, you're no Itachi."

Those words seemed to set Sasuke off into a blind rage, and it was only after these events that Kakashi realized why. The boy rushed forward, his blows were notably faster and harder, but they lacked the nigh surgical precision they'd had just moments before. Finally, wanting to get back to his reading, Kakashi decided to end the match. He carelessly caught one of Sasuke's ravenous fists before twisting to bend the Genin's shoulder in an awkward fashion.

Then, just as Naruto leaped out from behind him to grab the scroll, he pivoted on his heel, making Sasuke do a one-eighty and making the Uchiha involuntarily slap Naruto with his free hand. Both of the boys went crashing away in a flurry of fists and curses.

Kakashi sighed, now where was the girl?

The silver-haired man noticed the slender hand sneaking up from behind him just in time. He reached out and grabbed Sakura's wrist, hearing her squeal, before he lifted her into the air and eyed her sheepish face. Deciding that there wasn't much he could, or should do, he let go of her wrist and pointed at the two boys still tangled up on the other end of the roof. "If you want any chance of becoming a Genin, I suggest you get some help."

With that said, Kakashi happily skipped off the rooftop and flipped back to chapter four; things were finally getting saucy.

_**Four hours later …**_

Naruto growled as he watched Sasuke uselessly try and get the scroll from Kakashi, failing as horribly as he had. The Jounin could have long ago reached the gate, but he seemed to take some sick pleasure in slapping them around in the day's particularly brutal sun. All of his attempts at getting the scroll had all ended in complete, and rather embarrassing failure. "Bastard," he cursed Kakashi under his breath.

He couldn't fail here.

Five minutes into Kakashi's beat down of Sasuke, he was startled as Sakura suddenly walked up to him. He frowned, she'd been trying to get Sasuke to work with her for hours. What the hell could she possibly want from him? He didn't have any particular grudge towards her, but like everyone else in the Academy, she hadn't been his best friend. But through a combination of the sun, his constant failure, his sore body and his dark memories of the Academy, he voiced himself a little more offensively than he'd expected.

"The hell do you want?"

Sakura seemed taken aback by it, and Naruto almost prepared to apologize, but she quickly steeled herself. "Look, Naruto … I don't like you, and you probably don't like me, but this getting pretty tedious. There's no way any of us, even Sasuke, is going to get that scroll from Kakashi-sensei. But if we work together, maybe we'd have a better chance."

Naruto stood, preparing to jump back into battle. "No way!" he answered her. "You'd just slow me down!"

Sakura cringed, and resisted the urge to punch him in the mouth. Where the hell had he been lately? She'd been the number one kunoichi in their year, while he'd fallen dead last behind everyone else. "Look!" she asserted. "I don't know if you haven't noticed, but Kakashi-sensei has been embarrassing you since the minute he started this test. Now I don't know about you, but I'm not going back to the Academy. Now, are you with me, or are you out."

Naruto eyed her wearily, most of him unwilling to trust her, but she didn't break his gaze, and she earned his respect. "So what's the plan?"

Almost four rooftops away, Kakashi smiled under his mask as he heard the proceedings of the other two. Now two of them had taken the path towards passing, and all that remained was this big-headed, though skilled little prick. "Don't you get it yet Sasuke," Kakashi taunted, "it's impossible for any of you to get the scroll. I set you all up to fail, why don't you just go home and start preparing for the next semester."

"Uchiha never fail!" Sasuke asserted.

"Oh, it speaks!"

With a quick movement, Kakashi knocked an airborne Sasuke out of the air, before grabbing his arm and throwing him in the direction of his teammates, part of him hoping that the numskull would actually get the message. Immediately he crossed his hands in front of his face, blocking a rather solid kick from Naruto. Where Sasuke was grown sloppy from fatigue, Naruto seemed to retain every bit of energy he'd had the beginning of this fiasco.

He thrust his hands out, pushing the blond away. The girl was nowhere to be seen, this would get interesting.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Another dozen or so clones covered the surface area of roof. "Let's see you dodge this!" they yelled in unison before launching a barrage of kunai at the Jounin. Kakashi chuckled; this plan wasn't turning out to be as elaborate as he'd hoped. Kakashi jumped into the air, avoiding the various blades before kicking off and landing on the roof behind him. As soon as he moved to keep going, he suddenly felt a vice grip across his ankles. A small smile spread across his face.

_'Not bad,'_ he thought.

Naruto had left a batch of clones where he knew Kakashi would land, and Sakura had Transformed them to look like the roof. The clones captured everyone of his limbs, and soon, Sakura stood in front of him with a rather satisfied smirk, and Naruto beside her with that generic, impish grin splitting his lips.

"Wait!" Kakashi piped up as soon as he saw Naruto reach for the scroll. "How do you know I'm the real Kakashi?"

"What?" Naruto asked, perplexed. "Of course you're the real Kakashi!"

"Do you think we're stupid?" Sakura asked, "Naruto, hurry up and take the scroll!"

"Don't you know," Kakashi continued, "that I've had several opportunities to switch myself with one of your teammates. Its a pretty simple matter of Transforming them to look like me, and then projecting my voice to their gagged body? Don't believe me? Well, too bad." Kakashi's body suddenly vanished in a puff of smoke, and in his stead was Naruto!

The real Naruto cursed before suddenly punching the fake in the mouth, to his surprise it popped away, like a clone. What proceeded was chaos. Naruto and his clones tore into each other in some desperate attempt to reveal Kakashi. Sakura sighed, watching the chaos with almost teary eyes. It seemed indeed that they would be returning to the academy for another year of lectures. She might have cried and given up, had hope not appeared in the form of a black-haired, and rather moody-looking Uchiha.

Sasuke was not someone that liked to comprise; no, he believed that whatever he, an Uchiha, decided was usually best over the ideas of his teammates. But, above even that, Sasuke was a man that respected results. Their plan had nearly worked, and if the idiots hadn't let Kakashi distract them while he switched with a clone, they would have gotten the scroll. So, with a knot his throat he asked, "What's the plan?"

Sakura felt the shining beacon of hope in her heart suddenly die. "I'm out," she realized.

Having finally dispelled his clones and realized that Kakashi was not among them, Naruto piped up. "I've got an idea."

The other two sighed, "Great," they proclaimed in unison.

_**Hidden Leaf Bank …**_

Kakashi stood on the perch of the Hidden Leaf bank. It had been nearly an hour since his last encounter with his students, and in the time he'd managed to grab a bite to eat and was now catching up on his reading. For a brief moment, he considered the idea of letting Naruto and Sakura pass, after all, they'd hammered down the big idea; he quickly shot the idea down. Teams of two were rare, and rather handicapped on big missions. No, unfortunately they would have to suffer for the Uchiha's mistakes.

Naruto needed another year of basics anyway.

The Jounin sighed in annoyance as Sasuke landed in front of him in a ready fighting stance. He marked the page he was on before tucking it away. "You never learn do you."

Sasuke said nothing as he gripped the two kunai in his hands tighter. He shot off, his speed swallowing the distance between them in a split second. Kakashi ducked the initial swing, and swept Sasuke's legs out from under him. The Uchiha released his kunai, his aim was just off as it slid past Kakashi's waist by a few centimeters. He caught himself on the free hand and flipped to a standing position. Without hesitation, he launched his last kunai at Kakashi's head, only to have the Jounin lean his neck and avoid it.

"You really are the dumbest of the team aren't you?"

"No," Sasuke smirked. "You are!"

Without warning Kakashi suddenly felt a body wrap around his back, locking his arms and his thighs, and he felt another kunai at this neck. _'Now this is interesting,'_ he thought as Naruto, who had him locked, started cackling like a maniac. As much as he hated to admit, it seemed like he finally had a team. He swore he'd make the Hokage pay for putting him on team duty.

The little brats had used a Transformation jutsu to make themselves appear as kunai, which explained Sasuke's sloppy throws.

By the end of this realization, Sasuke had already descended on the scroll, of course he wouldn't get it. With a chakra empowered move, he twisted, knocking Naruto into Sakura, who in turn crashed into Sasuke. Kakashi resisted the urge to smile as he watched the three of them get in battle stances. It seemed like he did at least something to work with. He casually reached over the scroll on his waist before ripping it off and tossing it to Sasuke.

"You pass!"

Naruto didn't seem to buy it. "We're not falling for that! That's probably just a fake!"

"No, no," Kakashi chuckled. "I'm all out of tricks. I'd been hoping to fail you, but you three managed to catch the theme of the test: teamwork! As I'm sure you three realized, its completely impossible for a single Genin to beat a Jounin. But there is a famous quote by the second Hokage: 'Three Genin can topple a Jounin, three Chunin can topple a Kage, and three Jounin can topple a village'. That's what differentiates the Hidden Leaf from everyone else. We have the most cohesive teamwork on the continent."

Sakura seemed to be absorbing his words, Sasuke snorted, and Naruto was rubbing his stomach hungrily.

_'It's not much, but I can make it work.'_ "You three look tired, why don't I treat you to dinner?"

"Ramen!"


	2. Journey to the Bitter Land of Tea

**Bonds we Build**

_**Summary: Three newly inaugurated Genin begin to forge the precious bonds of friendship amidst the clash of steel, and the screams of men.**_

_**I do not own the Naruto series**_

**Arc One**

**Chapter 2:** Journey to the Bitter Land of Tea

It was rare that Sarutobi Hiruzen would have this great pleasure. Through shear force of will, he'd forced himself through his work, and had put himself almost an entire week ahead of schedule. Many would assume that, as he was the Third Hokage he was thus was naturally far too overworked, and since he was some sixty-nine years old, that he would use this time as a break. Hiruzen had contemplated doing that, and he had to admit that sitting back, smoking his pipe and just relaxing didn't sound too bad at all.

But that's not what Hiruzen did.

In his spare time, Hiruzen liked to hand out missions to his ninja personally. Ever since the day he'd first taken this job, a countless amount of decades ago, and ever since he'd been forced to come out of retirement and retake the position, Hiruzen had always found that the most painful thing about being Hokage was the detachment of the job. Hiruzen was used to seeing death reports. But what really hurt, was getting one about a ninja who'd gotten his mission from the mission hall.

To know that the young men and woman that he had watched grow tall and strong had died on the line duty, and the last friendly face they'd seen was some emotionless stranger behind desk; it nearly broke him.

So no, Hiruzen did not relax in his spare time. In his spare time, Hiruzen would have the mission hall direct all of the missions to his office, and he would hand them out personally. It brought him a small sense of solace to know that he'd sent his soldiers out to die personally. But, even still, the Hokage never truly had any time off. He was brutally reminded of that when, out of nothingness, a figure dressed in black and gray appeared kneeling before him, his face covered by a plain porcelain mask that showed no features.

The sight of the ANBU Commander always meant trouble. "Any news Itachi?"

The young man, barely eighteen, stood and nodded. "Surveillance and Intelligence believes they may have found what you've been looking for, Hokage-sama."

Hiruzen sighed, "So it is as I feared? Has _he_ set his sights back on the village."

Itachi nodded. "We cannot find any trace of him in the village, and all of ours leads always amount to nothing, but there's no more doubt, Orochimaru-san may be plotting something against us. No doubt, Jiraiya-sama would have some information on his whereabouts."

Hiruzen nodded. "I'm sure Jiraiya would. In fact, I'm sure Jiraiya knows much more than just where he is. But, finding either of them is like trying to catch the wind; a fruitless endeavor. Either of them could walk these streets, and none of our men would even know." He sighed; certainly he had trained his students too well. "Send out team to track Jiraiya down, tell him its of vital importance, and the village's security is on the line. What news do you have of Danzo?"

Itachi's eyes narrowed behind his mask, a rare show of emotion that even Hiruzen barely caught. "We cannot be sure, he hides his tracks well; but all evidence points to him possibly being in league with Orochimaru-san."

"And your family?"

"Silent."

"Well," Hiruzen sighed, "not too bad. Anyway, I want you to keep close taps on Danzo; if you find _anything_ that incriminates him, then you know what you must do. Dismissed."

Hiruzen sighed as Itachi vanished. It hurt to give that order. Danzo was his oldest friend, his oldest rival; he couldn't even remember when they'd fallen into a loop of betrayals and hatred. He remembered the times, especially during the Second Great Ninja War, when they'd fought side by side for the ideals of their village. It pained him to know that Danzo was loyal to the Hidden Leaf to a fault, yet his means of 'protecting' it where too far beyond the scale of treacherousness.

He quickly smothered those old friendships; again he was letting his emotions rule him. Had he been a true ninja, like both the First and Second Hokages had taught him to be, then he would have killed Orochimaru ten years ago, when he found that boy, that boy that he had loved like a son, doing things too inhumane to describe. He decided he would not let the weakness come back to haunt him in the form of Danzo; he would pay the price for letting Orochimaru live, he knew that.

Hiruzen quickly returned to his reveries about sending his ninja out to battle, only to be interrupted once more. The door burst open, revealing none of other than Team Seven.

Naruto entered first, his little body full of an unnatural energy as he pointed at his commander and chief accusingly. "Alright old man!" Naruto barked, "I've had enough! I plan on being a great ninja one day, and there's no way I can become a great ninja doing all these chores!"

Sasuke, like Sakura on the other side of Naruto, quickly gave Naruto a wide berth of space, lest the Hokage assume that the blond's madness was in any way supported by him. Secretly though, he couldn't help but agree. _'If I'd wanted to pick weeds and clean kitchens for ten hours day, I would have become a handy man, not a ninja.'_

Kakashi behind them felt a bead of sweat roll down his forehead as a long silence followed Naruto's pronouncement. He could already see the consequences for this; a demotion, a night in an ANBU or Military Police cell, or maybe … _guard duty!_ Not _guard duty_, anything but _guard duty!_

Luckily for them, Hiruzen was a patient man, and one who could appreciate a young man's courage. Much to all of their surprise, all he did was chuckle and scratch his balding head offhandedly. "Oh, the irony of it all," he said, so zoned out that he was nearly speaking to himself. He reached into the pile of scrolls beside him and pulled out a beige one. "Here, a C-rank mission from the Land of Tea. The person who filed it specifically requested your name Kakashi, so I'm sure it should be quite interesting. Hopefully it'll test this brat's mettle and see if all of his powers in his mouth or not?"

A warm mirth overcome Hiruzen as he watched Naruto try and piece the insult together, and when he did, Kakashi quickly pulled him out of the room. "That boy will be the death of me,"he said warmly. And speaking of death, that tight and heavy feeling in his chest was returning. Quickly he pressed the intercom and was greeted with the sweet sound of his front desk girl's voice; one could say she looked like her voice.

"Keiko-chan, could you please call in Dr. Herushi?"

_**Southeastern gate …**_

Naruto's heart was pounding as he watched the massive steel gates reel back into the giant wall around the Hidden Leaf, the grinding making a strange noise that was irritating to the ears. He felt so utterly nervous, and though he didn't realize it, his teammates beside him felt the same. The land beyond these gates seemed so vast and uncharted to them, it was as if they were stepping out into a New World. What would happen? Would they immediately have to jump away from a hail of shuriken from lurking assassins?

Or better yet, would they have to fight their way through hordes of enemy ninja armed to the teeth weapons before they reached their destination. Or would they have to clash with vicious demons hiding in the deep foliage of the Land of Fire?

Once they actually stepped out, they were rather disappointed.

What awaited for them was not senseless violence and carnal thrills, but rather rolling hills that served as farmland, and dense forests, home to squirrels and the like. They moved through the tree tops, taking off towards their destination at twice the speed of any man on horseback. They only stopped a few times at villages across the Land of Fire in order to resupply on food, and once or twice for Kakashi to explain the mechanics of their newest chakra control exercise: the surface walking exercise.

"Alright, we're a day ahead of schedule," Kakashi said as he stood beside a massive oak tree, "I think its time for another chakra control exercise."

Naruto groaned, "Another one?" he pouted.

"Don't worry Naruto, I'm sure you like this one."

Kakashi placed his foot on the base of the tree, before suddenly placing his second foot on the tree, and then walked up the tree! The three Genin below watched him with popping eyes as he walked until he reached a massive branch and he stood from it upside down. "This," he said through their amazement, "is called the Surface Walking Exercise. All you have to do is channel chakra to your feet, and walk up the tree; be careful though, too little chakra and you'll fall right off, too much chakra and you destroy the bark." He tossed three kunai down to their feet. "Mark your progress."

Naruto, the boldest of the team, immediately grabbed the nearest kunai and lunged at the nearest tree. His foot made contact, then the second, before he could take another step, he was suddenly launched back almost three feet. The bark where is foot had been had collapsed on itself, leaving the meat of the tree for view. Kakashi raised an interested eyebrow at, _'As always, he uses too much chakra.'_

Sasuke took the next leap of faith. He made it up about six steps before marking where he reached and flipping down to the bottom as he lost grip. _'Fluctuating chakra.'_ Kakashi thought. _'He can produce the right amount of chakra needed, but not for an extended period of time.'_

Kakashi turned back to look for his final student, but she was nowhere in sight. "Hey!" he heard Sakura from a couple of feet above him. "This isn't so hard!"

_'Nicely done, Sakura. She's got a lot of potential, though her chakra levels are low, and her Taijutsu and Ninjutsu skills are sub par, she does have a lot of control. Maybe Genjutsu would be her forte?' _For the millionth time Kakashi thought to himself that Sakura would have done much better under Kurenai, a Genjutsu specialist.

Naruto growled at her from the bottom. "How are you doing that?"

The training session flew by. Sakura mastered the technique with ease, but she was tuckered out just running up the tree two or three times. Sasuke got up about a quarter, and Naruto, after some deep concentration, managed to get up ten steps. The next day, they found themselves briefly in a tiny little port town called Fune. There Kakashi found them a small boat and a guide that would take them right to Kogane, their destination. When Naruto had asked why they needed to go across by boat, Kakashi explained that walking to the Land of Tea would take another two weeks, by which time they would have failed their mission.

The silence on the boat was thick, and Kakashi quickly found himself enthralled in the latest addition of his favorite series; from the looks of it, Icha Icha Paradise would be even steamier than Icha Icha Academy. He needed to catch up on his reading, which was why he nearly snapped when Naruto, who was laying down to avoid seasickness, suddenly broke the silence of the steady sea.

"Kakashi-sensei, what's our mission anyway?"

"Well, according to the scroll, we're headed to the village of Kogane, just little inland of the sea. Kogane has recently became very famous in the Land of Tea because the local lord found unclaimed gold under the village. Ever since the discovery of the gold, the town has been plagued with bandits, and the few warriors in the village can't keep up any longer. All we have to do is fight off the bandits and protect the village until the lord and his men can mine up all the gold."

Naruto grinned from his spot, and he thrust his fist into the air as if to grab a cloud. "This sounds like the perfect first mission for the man who'll surpass the Hokages."

Sakura, bored with the inactivity, as Sasuke was just staring out into sea, looking a little green as well, decided to interject. "Do you even know who the Hokage are, Naruto?" she sighed.

"Of course I do! The Hokage are the four greatest ninja to ever come out of the Leaf Village, and each of them was one of the most powerful ninja of their time, and hailed as the greatest heroes of their time; especially the Fourth Hokage. The Fourth Hokage is the one who sacrificed his life to kill the Nine Tailed Demon Fox thirteen years ago! That is why, I will surpass all of the Hokage; especially the Fourth!"

A cold shiver ran down Kakashi's spine as he heard Naruto mention the Incident. Hearing it from anyone else wouldn't have been so bad; but not this boy. Not Uzumaki Naruto. To hear the boy place the Fourth on a pedestal for something he'd never actually done … it hurt. Yes, the Fourth Hokage had been the greatest ninja of his time, possibly of all time, but nothing, no one _could kill_ the Kyuubi no Yoko. It sent a chill through him, remembering that dark day; that fearsome power that had torn away at the Hidden Leaf.

"Well," Sakura continued, "if you know so much about the Hokages, then you should know that surpassing all of them is impossible. Even for ninja with Advanced Bloodline Limits and clans, becoming even half as good as a Hokage is nearly impossible; the odds are even worse for average people like us."

Kakashi frowned at that, "There's no such thing as an average ninja."

So preoccupied with his stray thoughts, and his reading, Kakashi almost didn't notice the unnatural way that the completely flaccid sea moved suddenly. Kakashi dropped the book, and his hands come together in a quick set of hand seals. "Water Style: Water Encampment Wall!"

The water around their small boat suddenly exploded into action, shooting into the air and forming a perfect circle around them, just in time to stop the barrage of shuriken and kunai that came hailing on their boat. Kakashi cursed; how had he been so foolish not too notice this earlier! Without warning, the water under their boat suddenly went wild. It flipped the boat over in a great roar of emotion as the students and the guide screamed haphazardly before their sounds were drown out by water.

The confusion lasted only a few seconds, and Kakashi found himself standing on top of the water, looking around for his students. He sighed in relief as he their heads came out of the water.

"Kakashi-sensei, what's going on?" Naruto asked nearly in panic.

"Are we being attacked?" Sakura added.

"Enough!" Kakashi ordered. "All three of you calm down, and swim to the boat, use it for life support." His single eye scanned the area, looking for something hidden, only to find his enemy hidden in plain sight. He was standing on the surface of the water just seven meters from him. Their aggressor was young, barely in his twenties. He was a tad shorter than Kakashi, with cyan hair, brown arm warmers, a sleeveless black shirt and gray pants. Around his head was forehead protector adorning the symbol of the Hidden Rain, with a long scratch through it.

A Missing Ninja.

"Hatake Kakashi," the man said, "your reputation precedes you."

"Well, sorry to disappoint you, but I don't who you are."

"My name is Murasame," the Missing Ninja said. "But that doesn't much matter. I was sent here by my master to kill you. I will do just that."

The Missing Ninja struck without warning, closing the distance between him and Kakashi in a split second. Kakashi moved to the side, avoiding a fist that would have shattered his nose before bringing up his left arm to block a forearm. The silver-haired Jounin's foot shot out, connecting with the former Rain ninja's chest, sending him skidding back in the direction he came from.

Murasame's body skipped across the water like a rock before he managed to regain himself. Immediately the assassin found himself having to block a kunai. The two struggled for a moment, but Kakashi quickly pulled back, throwing the Missing Ninja off balance, before bringing his knee up which connected with a powerful crack to Murasame's jaw. The Leaf ninja pulled back before hopping off his feet and delivering a powerful spin kick to the Missing ninja's face.

Kakashi turned back briefly to see his students, thankfully they'd found the overturned boat and the terrified guide, before returning his attention to his rising opponent. "Whoever this master is, they didn't hire the most efficient assassin. I feel underestimated."

Murasame rose with a sneer, spitting blood into the water. "Don't you dare insult her!" he screamed has his hands locked into a hand seal. "Water Style: Water Razor Whip!" The water around his feet suddenly shot into his arm, before forming into a long whip. Without a moment's hesitation the cyan-haired assassin pivoted on his heel before swinging the short whip in Kakashi's direction.

The whip suddenly extended to twice its length! Kakashi leaped back in order to avoid the whip's tip which still managed to catch the end of his flak jacket, tearing through the tough material like a scissors through paper. Murasame continued to pivot in a perfect circle, bring the whip around once more after splashing it in the water. This time, it was nearly triple its original length, it it captured Kakashi around the waist, binding his arms to his body and drawing blood. The Missing Ninja gripped tight, preparing to finish his enemy.

"Lightning Style: Electric Execution!"

Murasame's body suddenly suddenly began to crackle with golden electrical energy that ran right through the whip. Kakashi hollered in pain as the electric current ran through his body, frying his insides like a fish fillet. The Missing ninja grinned as the water whip suddenly retracted at high speeds. "For Kagura-sama!" he hollered as he plunged a kunai into Kakashi's chest, barely withholding a grin as the kunai ripped through the jacket and hit flesh and bone.

From a distance the Genin watched in order, unable to aid their sensei.

"Kakashi-sensei!"

The Missing ninja suddenly frowned as he looked at the blood on his blade … it wasn't blood. Kakashi's corpse was leaking … water?

Without warning Kakashi's body deteriorated with a splash of water, and two powerful arms gripped Murasame's ankles from under the water. Underneath the surface, Kakashi suddenly yanked the younger man in, before flipping several times and releasing him, sending the missing ninja flying out into the open air. Kakashi quickly followed. Steadying his feat on the water, the Jounin leaped after the airborne enemy before flipping smoothly in the air and connecting his heel with Murasame's chest, sending the former Rain ninja crashing down into the sea.

Kakashi landed with the grace of a swan on the smooth water's surface. "Ready to quit yet?" he asked the ninja rising from the waters.

Murasame growled. "You will not defeat me, Hatake!"

Suddenly the man chewed into his thumb, drawing blood before preforming some seals and slamming his palm onto the water's surface. "Summoning Jutsu!" he shouted as a string of seals expanded from his hand. There was a puff of smoke and … nothing happened. "Now you'll see Hatake! With Hedoro by my side, no can beat me in these waters."

Kakashi cursed under his breath; this was starting to get out of hand. He should have finished this kid when he had the chance. He was going to rectify his mistake.

The Jounin pushed forward, meeting Murasame in a clash of steel and Taijutsu. Kakashi quickly began to dominate the showdown, cleanly avoiding Murasame's whip and body, all the while delivering solid blows to the younger man's body. But still, he knew he'd far from won the fight. Whatever the kid had summoned had yet to show its ugly head. Hopefully, it wouldn't be anything too dangerous. His hopes were shattered when he was warned of it.

"Kakashi-sensei!" he heard Naruto's distant voice. "Watch out!"

It burst from the water like a volcano eruption. A massive eel, about ten feet in length and two feet in width. Its blue, slimy body crackled with electric energy, and its massive jaws were opened wide. With one war-cry it rushed its ugly head towards his body. The silver-haired Leaf ninja barely managed to jump away to avoid the massive beast, which roared again, before poking it ugly head out of the water right near Murasame, who seemed to be nursing his wounds.

"Hedoro! Water!"

Hedoro cocked its head back, inhaling precious oxygen and the water around them before suddenly lurching it all out. A stream of condensed water rushed towards Kakashi, quickly augmented by Murasame's Electrical Execution technique, which ran through the massive eel like a conductor, heating the water to the point of making it boil. "Water Style: Boiling Water Cannon!"

"Water Style: Water Encampment Wall!" Kakashi shouted as he rose the water around him to block. He cursed as he felt his wall begin to collapse under the force of the water cannon. With no choice, he dropped the technique, letting his body fall into the water underneath, but not before leaving another Water Clone in his place. He cursed as he began to a feel a toll on his chakra pool; this had dragged out far too long, and years of inactivity had left him with a less than stellar chakra pool.

Like a fish Kakashi swam behind his new foes, before returning to surface, just in time for them to notice him and prepare another Water Cannon. But he was a step ahead. He finished the last in a set of long set of hand seals. Immediately he felt the drain on his chakra pool as the energy escaped his pores, possessing a large amount of water behind him.

"Water Style: Boiling Water Cannon!"

The water around Kakashi jumped to life as his chakra controlled it forming a perfect circle in front of his body, gathering velocity by spinning like a disk. The water cannon shot through the air, so hot that Kakashi, even from a distance, felt he'd been dropped into a sauna. But he waited patiently, and just as the cannon came within inches of searing his skin from his bones, he released.

"Water Style: Great Waterfall Jutsu!"

The water exploded forward like a great eruption, engulfing the water cannon with its size and velocity. The great sound of rushing water pounded against their ears, silencing everything. The sheer size of it made them all look infinitely minuscule. Once the great surging water cleared, the sea returned to its placid state, and Murasame was nowhere to be found. Kakashi sighed; he hadn't killed him. No, the Missing Ninja had gotten away, and no doubt, they'd see him again.

With a stagger in step Kakashi returned to his teammates.

"Whoa!" Naruto yelled. "Kakashi-sensei that was awesome! Why don't you teach us any of that?"

Kakashi ignored it, trying to figure out their latest dilemma. The boat was wrecked, and he had to get all three of them to land. He could use a Kage Bushin to help carry them, but he didn't want to expand that type of chakra. "Alright, here's something new I can teach you," he finally decided. "In order to walk on the water, all you need to do is apply the surface walking exercise, except now, you'll have to use more chakra to stay up, and you'll have to keep your chakra from fluctuating if the water changes. Think you can manage that?"

It took almost ten minutes, but Sakura finally managed to get to the top of the water shakily. Kakashi grabbed Naruto and the guide by the collar, raising them onto his shoulders. "Alright Sakura, get Sasuke and let's move."

Her face went red at the thought, but she didn't back down, eager to be able to _carry_ Sasuke on her back.

Thankfully for the team, the Land of Tea wasn't too far away, but after about half an hour of travel, the last ten minutes of which Kakashi expanded a Kage Bushin to carry the rest of the team as Sakura almost collapsed from Sakura exhaustion, they reached the land mass. Kakashi growled under his mask as he dropped the team on the beach and dispelled his clone. _'This is turning out to be more than I'd expected.'_

After paying the boatman extra for the damage to his boat, Team Seven followed the map towards their new destination.

"What was that all about Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura managed to ask.

The Jounin shrugged. "I'm not quite sure. It seemed to be a lousy assassination attempt. No worries, let's just focus on the mission."

It seemed that fate would not allow that to happen, because standing in the middle of the road, waiting for them like a complete idiot, was another missing ninja. He dressed in all black, and on his head was a scratched Hidden Stone forehead protector. The man snorted at the sight of them, "So it looks like Murasame failed after. Tch, she should have known better than to trust that over dramatic pretty boy. But anyway, I hope you're ready, because now you have to deal with Gantetsu of the Shadows!"

Kakashi sighed, preparing for another fight, but he never got the chance.

In the blink of an eye Sasuke had descended on their new enemy. The Uchiha came in with a straight punch, but Gantetsu managed to haphazardly dodge, only to receive a powerful spin kick to the jaw for his efforts. But the man was far from beaten, and he swung out, connecting solidly with Sasuke's chin and sending the Genin flipping back.

Sasuke landed on his feet, wiping a small amount of blood from his lips.

"Watch it kid!" Gantetsu growled. "I'm not here for you, I'm here for the Hatake!"

"Too bad, because you're mine now."

"Fine, I guess I'll take you out first then."

Drawing a kunai, Gantetsu prepared to leap into action against the Uchiha, only to have Naruto's fist connect with his jaw like a freight train. Quickly he managed to roll away. "No way you're getting all the fun Sasuke!"

"Damn, you little shits better get out of my way before I get serious!"

He attempted to move, only to stop as he felt cold steel at his neck. Kakashi, tired of the games, released a bolt of concentrated killing intent at his would-be assassin. "Look, I'm getting tired of this. You go back, and tell your master, that I don't want anything to do with them, and that if they stop bothering us right now, I might not hunt them down. Okay? Got it?"

There was a nervous nod, and Kakashi pulled the kunai away before kicking the man in the back. He heard a mumbled threat before the moron jumped into the trees and moved out of sight. Kakashi sighed, "Alright, let's move out."

_**Unknown Location …**_

Murasame knelled before his lord and master, who sat eloquently in her seat, covered by the darkness. She gave him a bored look with her golden eyes. He said nothing, he merely stared at the ground in shame. She chuckled light, and soon the chuckle developed into a full blown cackle. "Don't be upset Murasame," she said through a smirk, "if you'd actually managed to kill him, then certainly he would not have been the Hatake Kakashi that we were looking for."

There was a brief silence, and then she spoke again. "How did he look, Murasame?"

"I don't understand?"

"Is he is as beautiful as I remember," she asked to her self.

"What of Gantetsu?" Murasame asked, after another brief silence.

"Hopefully Kakashi did us a favor and killed that little critter."

As if on cue, Gantetsu ran into the room and knelled before her. "Master, I–"

"Failed? Of course you did Gantetsu. You always fail. Where is Choseki?"

Gantetsu gritted his teeth, forcing down the retort; his pride was not worth his life. "He was running surveillance," he answered. "He'll be here soon."

"Well, go and find him, and once you do, return here. You three will get a chance to redeem yourself in four days; and as for Kakashi … I'll handle him personally."

_**With Team Seven …**_

They reached Kogane within the hour. The people in the village were rather jumpy, and the site of them invoked many people to close their doors. They might have been lost, had it not been for the fact that the lord's home was basically a castle compared to the all of the other wooden homes around here. Once they arrived at the gate, they were greeted with two armed guards, who pointed their swords and halted them.

"State your business!" one of the demanded.

"We're the ninja from the Leaf," Kakashi said, "we're were hired by Lord Okeishi."

He showed them scroll, and the team was quickly led into the home where they were introduced to their host. He was a short, rather unimpressive man; he was far from what someone would expect of a lord. Especially one that was no filthy rich. He rose from his seat as soon as he saw Kakashi, and embraced the much taller Jounin. "Hatake Kakashi!" the man proclaimed. "Its been so many years since I've last seen you! You might not even remember me!"

Indeed he didn't.

"I'm sorry to say I don't, you'll have to forgive me."

"Quite alright, quite alright, come, let me lead you all to the kitchen."

Sakura eyed the short little imp with distaste as he led them to the kitchen. "There's something off about him," she whispered to Naruto, who merely shrugged. The thought of food overriding his thought process.

Kakashi and Okeishi quickly started talking about setting up a defense perimeter around the village.

As they reached the kitchen, a young woman was there, preparing a meal. When they entered, she briefly eyed them as if they were some type of vermin before continuing about her business. After what seemed like an eternity, she finished cooking, and she placed a platter in front of each one of them. Every time she laid down a plate for one of the ninja, she was particularly forceful about it. Every time she slammed it down harder than the last, and on the final plate, Naruto's, the plate broke and the food spilled all over his jacket.

The short blond jumped to his feat. "Oi, what the hell is your problem?"

Most might have been shaken by the rage of a ninja, but she stood her ground, and stared him in the eye. "My problem is you! All of you! You just barge in here, high and mighty, claiming to have the village's best interests at heart, but all you have come for is the gold that my has blessed us!"

Naruto gritted his teeth. "We're here to help you!"

"Protect us?" she asked, disgusted. "We don't need your help! Where were you when this village was starving? When our people were poor and filthy? Nowhere! Now that we have something worth value, you flock to our home just like the bandits that try to pillage our wealth! You make me sick!"

She barged out of the room, leaving Naruto to stare at where she'd been standing.

Kakashi sighed; things were really getting strange. "Naruto, sit down and eat."

The blond grudgingly did so, and Okeishi quickly moved to apologize for the incident. "I'm sorry, its just that Ishu is very compassionate towards the villagers, and the raids have killed many of them. She's been rather on edge. She'll cool off eventually."

The rest of the meal was silent and peaceful, and finally, Okeishi stood to show them to their rooms.

"You can just relax for the night. I'll took good care of you."


End file.
